


something in the air at night

by likeadrizzle (allthislove)



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 15:50:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17449862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthislove/pseuds/likeadrizzle
Summary: jiwoo works the graveyard shift and this one girl keeps coming in and buying the most random stuff.





	something in the air at night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mintchuulip](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintchuulip/gifts).



> thanks to those who proofread for me, any mistakes left are my own! meaning mistakes abound, probably

Jiwoo's sources of entertainment on her graveyard shifts are limited. Not that she took the shift for entertainment, but still.

 

 

More often than not, she ends up alone. She'd spend the night sitting at the counter, then strolling through every aisle tidying up, then sitting back at the counter in a cycle until it was time to close up.

 

Other times, someone who was very clearly drunk would walk in and browse the store like they were sober. It's fun to watch them wobble around, and if they were particularly talkative Jiwoo would learn something fun about a stranger. Just the other day, a pretty girl with pink hair was telling her how she's been trying to get the number of hot bartender Sooyoung from across the street. Jiwoo's never met this Sooyoung, but she's probably who supplies her with drunk customers, so she considers her a friend. Jiwoo wishes the pink haired girl good luck.

 

Tonight, another girl strolls in. She's blonde, taller, and maybe a little less drunk. She walks in looking disinterested, makes eye contact with Jiwoo, and darts into one of the aisles.

 

Jiwoo's immediately alarmed. She may have been trained on what to do in the event of a robbery, but she didn't think it would actually come into play. For that reason, she forgets the button under the counter and follows the girl instead.

 

"Um!" She calls out, trailing after the stranger into the refrigerated aisle. "Can I help you?"

 

The blonde freezes in place. She's holding a gallon of milk.

 

"I'm... thirsty."

 

The blonde promptly makes her way to the counter, pays once Jiwoo makes it back to the counter, and leaves, leaving Jiwoo mildly perplexed for the rest of the night.

 

++

 

A few nights later, the same blonde shows up. Jiwoo doesn't hound her now that she knows she's harmless, but she still follows her with her eyes. Every now and then, the blonde peeks over the aisle to look at Jiwoo. Jiwoo notices each time, and the blonde looks away after a moment of their gazes meeting.

 

She's no thief, but she's kind of weird.

 

The blonde walks up to the counter with a pack of bubble mailers. What she plans on doing with these at almost three in the morning, Jiwoo doesn't know, but she rings them up anyway.

 

"Have a good night!" Jiwoo says as she hands her the bag.

 

The blonde looks up and she has pretty eyes, Jiwoo notes. Her cheeks are also flushed red, so Jiwoo figures she's coming from Sooyoung's.

 

"Same to you," she replies with a half-smile.

 

++

 

The third time the blonde walks in, Jiwoo's tired of calling her "the blonde" in her mind (and to Haseul, the girl who works the early evening shift.). So as the girl finds whatever she needs this time, Jiwoo pulls out a pen and paper and scribbles something on it quickly before slapping it onto the card reader.

 

Soon-to-be-more-than-the-blonde walks up and looks at the sign, frowning. "I don't have cash."

 

"That's okay!" Jiwoo chirps, perhaps a little too happily. "It's just the chip reader that's broken. I can enter it manually if you just give me your card."

 

Thank goodness the blonde doesn't realize the machine is still on under the paper. Jiwoo braces herself and when she's handed the card, she tries to look as professional as possible as she looks at the name. "Kim Jungeun?"

 

"That's me. Do you need to see my ID too?"

 

"Nope! All good." Jiwoo swipes the card and completes the transaction in record time. "See you, Jungeun!"

 

Jungeun - goodness gracious it is _so_ much easier with a name - pauses in the middle of reaching for her bag. Maybe Jiwoo shouldn't have implied she would be back.

 

Or maybe she was right to, because Jungeun squints to look at her name tag. "See you, Jiwoo."

 

She looks so cool walking away, Jiwoo thinks, even when she comes in after midnight to buy a box of spoons.

 

++

 

Jungeun appears every few days now, and after a week Haseul decides she wants to stay past her shift. Not to help at all, no, but to find out just who Jiwoo has been talking about.

 

"She comes to you instead of going to self-checkout," Haseul points out, sitting on the counter and keeping an eye on the door. "That _means_ something."

 

Sure enough, Jungeun comes in a little after two. She looks over to the counter with a smile, but her eyes land on Haseul waving daintily at her and she makes a run for the aisles. Nostalgia hits Jiwoo, but so does jealousy. She was hoping that reaction would be just for her.

 

Jungeun brings over an arm sling and some bandages. Jiwoo frowns, concerned. "Are you hurt?"

 

"Nah, just bruised." Jungeun holds up her left hand, noticeably red but otherwise fine. "You gotta milk these things, you know?"

 

Jiwoo laughs, but Haseul beats her to a response. "Jiwoo here once got hit by a car and walked away with only a bruise on her elbow, but she got out of gym for two months."

 

"I still got _hit_ by a _car_!" Jiwoo stresses. "It was a Range Rover, and I was knocked over!"

 

Jungeun laughs like she doesn't know what to say. "I believe you. And I'm glad you're alright... however long ago that was."

 

"Five years ago," Haseul interjects from where she sits. "Hi, Jo Haseul. I work with Jiwoo, but we go way back."

 

"Kim Jungeun."

 

"I know," Haseul says smugly.

 

Jiwoo clears her throat, "That'll be twenty-three bucks, Jungeun!"

 

"For two items? Overpriced, don't you think?" 

 

Jiwoo clenches her teeth and makes sure never to let Haseul stay again. But Jungeun laughs again, this time more genuine.

 

"Maybe. But I like coming here, it's convenient."

 

That makes Jiwoo feel better. "That's what we are! A convenience store! Here's your receipt and have a good night!"

 

Jungeun says her goodbyes and once she's through the door, Haseul whistles lowly. "Real eloquent there, Wooming."

 

"Shut up," Jiwoo whines, but lowers her voice to ask, "What do you think?"

 

"Definitely pretty, almost definitely into you. You can, you know, ask. Or ask me to ask, but I might forget and ask her something else instead." The way Haseul applies chapstick as she says this rubs Jiwoo the wrong way.

 

++

 

Jiwoo begins to collect facts about Jungeun. She learns that Jungeun's in a band. She learns that Jungeun does not in fact come from Sooyoung's but from home, whenever she can't sleep. She learns that Jungeun's an only child, but she has two best friends, both of whom play with her and one of whom moved here recently. That one's Jinsoul, she's also blonde, and she shows up with Jungeun on some nights. Jiwoo likes Jinsoul. She teases Jungeun and Jungeun's ears get red and it's the cutest thing.

 

Jinsoul tags along on one of the nights Haseul sticks around, and it's a sight to see. While they're shopping, Haseul tugs on Jiwoo's uniform. "Lemme take them."

 

"What? No, this is my shift!" Haseul keeps tugging on it until Jungeun and Jinsoul place two DVDs from the clearance bin onto the counter.

 

"I didn't think you were the type for movie musicals," Jiwoo jokes.

 

"You know me well, I'm not." Jungeun grins and points to Jinsoul. "This one, on the other hand, is a sucker for them."

 

Haseul slides over, not-so-casually inserting herself into the conversation. "As anyone should be! Hi, Jo Haseul."

 

It takes a second for Jinsoul to realize she was being spoken to, but she bashfully introduces herself. Jiwoo and Jungeun lock eyes, both assessing the situation. 

 

Jungeun wraps an arm around her best friend. "She's new in town."

 

Haseul's lips curl into a smile. "What are three other things about her?"

 

++

 

Haseul and Jinsoul start meeting up in normal daytime hours. Both girls stop tagging along with their respective people on the same nights, so it's safe to assume they might be meeting up in the evening hours as well. Jiwoo's happy for them; as abrasive as Haseul might be at times, they're still kind of friends.

 

Jungeun's obviously happy too, since it's her best friend involved.

 

"Soul's absolutely lovestruck, it's hilarious. Maybe she'll churn out a good song."

 

Jungeun buys two tubes of chips and one travel pack of guacamole. It's probably the most normal of her purchases since she first came in. Jiwoo starts to bag them, but Jungeun places her hand over hers. 

 

"Do you mind if I hang out here with you? We can share."

 

Jiwoo blinks. "Not at all!"

 

Jungeun pops open a can and grabs a few chips before holding it out for Jiwoo, who takes one. No one comes in after Jungeun, so Jiwoo relaxes a bit, taking a seat next to Jungeun. 

 

"Can I ask something? Why do you keep buying weird stuff in the middle of the night?"

 

"You're gonna judge me when I'm your favorite regular?" Jungeun teases. "The first time, I was actually out of milk. After that... like I said I can't sleep, and when I can't sleep I have to do something."

 

Jiwoo hums in understanding. "Well, I'm glad you decided to do something here of all places."

 

"Me too."

 

Soon enough Jiwoo's shift is over, and she ushers Jungeun out so she can close up. Jungeun waits outside till she locks the door. 

 

"You didn't have to stay," Jiwoo says, but she's not complaining. 

 

"I wanted to!" Jungeun grins. "So do you head home after this? I can walk you."

 

Jiwoo gasps playfully. "How forward!"

 

"One of us has to be, right?" Jungeun asks, opening a can of worms Jiwoo didn't even know existed. 

 

"I... You... What?"

 

"Did I get it wrong?" Jungeun stiffens and starts to back away, and Jiwoo has to reach out and hold her sleeve to keep her from bolting. 

 

"Why is your first instinct to run?!" Jiwoo's hand seeks out Jungeun's, and they bump awkwardly before finding their fit. "You didn't... but if you were putting signs out there I couldn't pick up on any of them."

 

Jungeun steps closer. "I couldn't sleep after I saw you the first time... I wonder why that is."

 

Jungeun leans in, but Jiwoo clamps a hand over her mouth, half from nerves and half from shock. "That's your idea of a sign? How am I supposed to connect those dots!"

 

"Why else would I show up where you work, exclusively when you're working, multiple days a week?!"

 

They stare at each other intensely, each one's eyes challenging the other to come up with a solid argument. But maybe because it's three in the morning, they can't hold it and erupt into giggles instead. 

 

Jungeun leans on Jiwoo as she collects herself, and it's only then that Jiwoo notices she's the taller of the two. Mustering all her courage, Jiwoo wraps her arms around Jungeun in a hug. Jungeun reciprocates almost immediately, and for a moment it's just the two of them holding each other in the silence of the night. It's the first time they've done this, yet it feels so natural. Jiwoo hopes it won't be the last time.

 

Jiwoo pulls back just enough to look at Jungeun's face. Jungeun's beaming, loud and bright and gentle all at once. It drives her mad. 

 

Jiwoo rests her forehead against Jungeun's. "Use your words, Jungeun."

 

"Okay." Jungeun takes a deep breath. "You like me."

 

"I do," Jiwoo confirms, puffing her cheeks up. "I thought this was about _you_ confessing."

 

Jungeun turns red. "You didn't let me finish! So you like me.... romantically?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Like you wanna be with me?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Like Haseul and Jinsoul?"

 

"Ew, do you think I'm like Haseul?" Jiwoo makes a face, pretending to move away. 

 

Jungeun chuckles and keeps her where she is. "I like you too. Romantically."

 

"Smooth."

 

"Hey, if you like me, it's not because I'm smooth."

 

As they laugh the night away, Jiwoo thinks that she's gotten to know quite a bit about how Jungeun is when the sun's down. 

 

She can't wait to learn what she's like when the sun rises too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact all the things jungeun buys are things i've bought when i go to cvs out of boredom
> 
> the range rover story is also true that was a Time
> 
> talk to me maybe im jinseulves @ twitter


End file.
